Policies

Equal Employment Opportunity & Affirmative Action

Accessibility & Accommodations

Americans with Disabilities Act

In September 1973, Congress passed Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 504 states: “No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall, solely on the basis of their handicap, be excluded from participation or be denied benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) gives individuals with disabilities civil rights protection that is similar to that provided to all individuals on the basis of race, sex, national origin, and religion. The act guarantees equal opportunity in employment, public accommodations, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.

Consistent with the ADA and Section 504, the policy of UNC Asheville is that no qualified person may be discriminated against on the basis of his or her disability. Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to seek admission to the University. UNC Asheville promotes affirmative efforts to employ individuals with disabilities and to accommodate students with disabilities. The University’s goal is to promote equal opportunity in employment and institutional programs for all individuals with disabilities.

Disability and Accessibility Policies

Academic Accessibility

The Office of Academic Accessibility works collaboratively with students, faculty, and staff to ensure that all aspects of campus life — learning, working, and living — are universally accessible. The Office provides the University community with resources, education, innovative programming, and direct services in order that people with disabilities may have a greater opportunity to achieve social justice and equity.

Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states: “No person in the U.S., shall on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

UNC Asheville’s Title IX Coordinator is responsible for educating the campus community through primary prevention and ongoing prevention programs, presentations and campaigns to keep UNCA students, staff and faculty educated, informed and safe. The Coordinator ensures that reports are addressed through University procedures and policies, and that the incident is resolved in a timely, fair and impartial manner. Reports are investigated based on the policies and procedures of the university where the safety and security of all faculty, staff, students, and guests, along with compliance with all applicable laws, is of the utmost importance. Learn more at titleix.unca.edu.

Non-Discrimination & Harassment

The University of North Carolina Asheville is committed to equality of educational experiences for students and is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. UNC Asheville will not discriminate against students, applicants or employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation*, genetic information, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or any other legally protected status with respect to all terms, conditions or privileges of university-sponsored activities, employment and the use of university facilities.

All members of the university community are expected to engage in conduct that contributes to the culture of integrity and honor upon which the University of North Carolina Asheville is grounded. Acts of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking jeopardize the health and welfare of our campus community and the larger community as a whole and will not be tolerated. The university has established procedures for preventing and investigating allegations of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking that are compliant with Title IX federal regulations.

Lactation Support Policy

This policy provides guidelines that will assist working mothers with the transition back to work following the birth of a child by providing a lactation support program that allows a nursing mother to express breast milk periodically during the workday.